Disney Magic -- It Certainly Was!

FEATURE ARTICLE

This article appeared in the
May 23, 2000, Issue #30 of ALL EARS®
(ISSN: 1533-0753)

Disney Magic -- It Certainly Was!

After
several years of putting a Disney Cruise on the back burner, I finally
took one in early May! From the moment I touched down in Orlando International
Airport until I got off the shuttle at the Boardwalk 3 days later,
the Disney Cruise Line (DCL) and Kingdom Magic Travel (who handled
all my arrangements) had everything organized and under control.

One
week before the cruise, my "Document Package arrived in a blue
folder with a great picture of Mickey on the cover. My travel booklet
contained ground transfers, Bahamas Immigration Form and several other
forms requiring my signature. You want to be sure your documents are
filled out and signed PRIOR to checking in at the Port!

The
excitement became too much the day before the cruise when I realized
half the contents of my closet were now all over my bed and dressers.
This from a seasoned traveler who typically packs quite easily. I
felt like a little kid awaiting Christmas Day. All my friends who
had been on the cruise had told me how much I'd love it! I was excited!
I just hoped the build-up wouldn't be a let down. It wasn't.

I
went on the cruise with my friend Linda, a recent Disney-convert.
Both of us are in our mid-forties and have no children. Day One began
by catching a 6:45 am flight out of Baltimore/Washington airport.

I
barely remember arriving at Disney's terminal at the Port -- everything
was so blue and wonderfully themed. We checked in, received our Key
to the World cards (just like you get at the Disney resorts) and had
about an hour to wait before boarding the ship.

At
12:30 the gates opened and we were soon on board the Magic! As we
entered the ship's atrium, a Cast Member asked our names and where
we were from. She then announced over the PA system "Welcome
Debbie and Linda from Maryland to the Disney Magic"! I thought
that was a great touch (and it was done for all the guests boarding).

On
the way to lunch we encountered Minnie Mouse and had the first of
many character photos taken! I really enjoyed seeing all the characters
around and Disney did a good job of having them available to guests.

We
began exploring the ship and ended up on Deck 9 at the Topsiders Welcome
Buffet. The buffet featured jumbo peel and eat shrimp, wonderful steamship
round of beef with tasty horseradish, a very nice tomato and mozzarella
salad and lots and lots of other things I can't remember any more.
The dessert buffet included a wonderful coconut cake, chocolate
eclairs, puff pastry swans with whipped cream inside, fruit tarts
and much more.

Off
to our Stateroom! As we were about to enter, O'Dell Guy introduced
himself to us. O'Dell would be our steward for the next 3 days. He
was absolutely wonderful! Each time we came back to the room, the
ice bucket was filled, we had fresh towels and other nice little touches.

We
were located near Mid-ship on Deck 7. Our room had a king size bed,
sitting area with fold out couch, desk, coffee table, dressers, closet
and a wonderful veranda to sit out on. It was heaven! The room was
much larger than I expected. The bathroom is split in 2; one half
has the shower and a sink, the other has the toilet and a sink. This
way, more than one person can be getting ready at the same time. It
worked out REALLY well.

We
took a tour of the spa and then it was almost 4:00pm. This is the
most serious part of the cruise the Mandatory Boat Drill. It was very
well organized and lasted about 25 minutes. Next, we enjoyed the Sail-Away
Celebration at the Goofy Pool. Mickey and Minnie were there, great
dancing music and lots of hoopla!!

Our
dinner was at 8:30 each night. The earlier seating is generally families
and the later seating generally adults only. Disney has rotational
dinning on the ship. You dine at a different restaurant each night
and your servers come with you to each of the different restaurants.

Tonight
is Lumiere's an elegant restaurant serving French cuisine. Anything
on the menu could be ordered -- even more than one of anything you
wanted. It was all included in the cruise except the cost of alcohol.
We had a bottle of Markham Merlot with dinner.

Linda's
dinner was Herb-crusted Baked Sea Bass - On Leaf Spinach dressed with
Champagne Sauce which she said was very good and rated it a B. I had
the Roast Sliced Beef Tenderloin Gratin Potatoes, Mediterranean Vegetables,
and Three-peppercorn Sauce. The beef was very tender and I also rated
my dinner a B.

Are
you tired yet? We actually did much more on Day 1! This is the condensed
version!

Stay
tuned for the continuance of my Disney Magic Trip Report in a future
WDWIG_Ezine issue! The full report will be on WDWIG as soon as the
photos arrive!

Get
a free Disney Cruise Line Video by visiting: http://disney.go.com/DisneyCruise/video/intro.html

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to
confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.